The Spirit of Ravenshom House

Chapter 2: Natural to Feel Haunted

The house swayed in the morning breeze. Sway, it actually didn't, just a trick of Daphne's weary eyes. After all, houses weren't particularly known to sway.

It was a formidable thing, their new home to be. Ravenshom house, grand as it sounded was complete with a wide grass lawn and a tall chimney that could puff out grey smoke clouds, like in the old black and white cartoon movies. It didn't have walls around and it didn't need to, having the closest house as further as half a mile away.

When she had first come to see the house she hadn't expected it to be a rich neighbourhood. Not the kind of rich with Victorian houses, but the kind where your father grilled stakes in the backyard while your mom sipped on iced tea wearing a funny hat over her face and children playing hide and seek under the mangrove tree.

She was sitting shotgun while Jerry fiddled with opening the garage. The mechanism was stuck and needed chastising and physical harm to open up. Jerry was poking at the screen when Daphne saw a bizarre shape walk towards them through the rear-view mirror.

The man was bald and burly, his face cheerful but fierce. His feral built however did not match the bright polka dotted frock that adorned his body or the pink bow tie hair band that dazzled in the warm sunlight.

She thought she was dreaming, one of her normal bizarre nightmares taking a turn to induce comedic humour but Jerry equally staring at him dumbfounded cleared her mind of the illusion that she might be inside a dream.

"Howdy," he said without any southern drawl or accent and Jerry came running to her a bit sceptical. On closer inspection she realized he was wearing bright red lipstick and eyeshadow had been spread way beyond his eyelids to his forehead. Her emotional quotient was confused how to react and stayed neutral as if stuck.

"I am Jason," he said not at all looking like a Jason. "I live down the street. You might know my wife. Lora."

"Lora, Yeah I remember her," Jerry dragged his words, bobbing his head. "She was the sweetest senior at my high school."

Jerry had lived in the house they were now moving into since he was born. He had grown up in these streets and gone to school in this very town moving to the city only for college. Ravenshom was his parents' house and it had stayed vacant ever since their deaths. Jerry had always wanted to move back in but had never expressed it. Daphne, however knowing him, prompted him enough to make a final decision. She too was done with the city, not entirely but enough to set up a home somewhere where the blaring of an ambulance wasn't the first sound you heard waking up.

"I came to say welcome to the neighbourhood," Jason said jovially.

Jerry mouthed an "Oh" probably contemplating what on earth made Lora marry a six foot threatening diva with facial stubble. As if reading their minds Jason looked down at his dress. "I guess it isn't appropriate clothing," he winked. "I was attending a tea party with my three-year olds."

That explained a bit yet Daphne looked incredulously at the man sized dress while Jerry poked her lightly on the elbow reminding her to shut her open mouth. "I am Jason Ravenshom, Lora must know we were moving."

Daphne unhinged her jaw, "I am Jason's Daphne and the dress suits you well," she said laughter ejecting into Jason.

"That would be Lora's doing. She stitched it just to spite me. She didn't think I would wear it out to play with the kids. Well the joke's on her."

Daphne didn't think the joke was on her but internally complimented a man who could wear an enormous frock to cheer up his kids' day.

"Lora went out to get groceries and I left my five-year old in charge so I should probably leave you to it. Let me know if you need help with settling or anything," Jason handed Jerry a paper with purple crayon writing of his cell number.

"Ok then," he said walking backwards, "And remember, do not for the life of it have girls, they will take over everything, your manhood included."

Daphne saw that he didn't mean one lick of it, his eyes brimming with love for his family.

As he rounded the corner, disappearing from view, Jerry let out a laugh and Daphne joined in. As if prompted awake by their laughter, the garage door groaned open and Daphne jumped out of the car, startled and shaken. The garage stared back, dark and ominous, resembling a hideous cave.

"It has a brain of its own," Jerry said holding a comforting hand over her shoulder, "And so do I.'

He lifted her up to cross the traditional threshold, forgetting the car and the garage. She squealed, hitting him on the chest. "We are not married."

"We could be," he said jostling her and she went rigid in his arms. He stepped right into the house and she was still looking at him like he was the one wearing sugar pop burgundy lipstick, when he went down on one knee. "Could we?" he asked facing the doorway while she faced the innards of the house they were to spend the rest of their lives in.

Her eyes were only starting to focus on the tiny ring that he had whipped out from within thin air. She felt giddy, drunk. She was becoming high in bliss when she caught something in the corner of her eyes. A movement around the couch that was pushed to one side and covered in cream-coloured drapes jolted her. A white blur that passed and vanished beneath the walls. Horror crawled into her skin with little invisible fingers and she gasped out loud. Jerry took this as a sign and clasping her hand pulled her in closer.

Her attention shifted back to the man that sat on one knee waiting for her answer that could change their lives. The house had been left untouched for years and without a human looked dangerous, haunting. It was natural to feel haunted, she thought.

Her mind snapped back and met his face. Jerry was looking at her eager, hungry for her, hungry for their life to start once more, for the better.

She didn't have to think to say yes. So she grabbed the ring, jumping onto him. They both fell to the hardwood floor, coarse and old. And as she said yes through sloppy kisses she could feel him laugh against her.

The door to the entryway swung wide bringing in a chill and she shivered unawares. Jerry slid his hand beneath her silk shirt and the warmth of his skin smoothed hers. She eased into the touch and grasped his neck kissing. Again with each kiss she said yes. Yes to him, yes to a new chapter, yes to a new life.

Daphne knew that her life was going to change. Change indeed it was going to but what she didn't know was it was going to change for the worse.